Digital Citizenship and Online Etiquette

Digital identity is the information about a person that exists on the internet, such as social media profiles and online accounts. Online reputation is how others perceive a person based on their online activities and posts. One must always be careful about what is posted online because it can affect career and personal relationships. One should think before sharing anything because once something is posted, it is very difficult to permanently remove it.

Netiquette means behaving respectfully and politely on the internet. Polite language should be used in online messages, emails and forums. Writing in ALL CAPS should be avoided as it appears like shouting. The opinions of others should be respected even if one disagrees. Credit should be given to others when sharing their work. Rumors and unverified information should never be shared. Messages should be replied to within a reasonable period of time.

Cyberbullying means using technology to threaten, embarrass or harm others. It takes various forms such as sending hurtful messages, spreading rumors online, sharing private photos without permission and excluding someone from online groups. Its effects include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and in serious cases, self-harm. To deal with cyberbullying, one should not respond to the bully, should block them, save evidence of the harassment, report it to the platform and inform a trusted adult or authority.